ABERDEENSHIRE. 



pools being much deeper and darker ; the Don 

 for most part coming through a great deal of 

 muir lands, and a good many peat moss burns 

 running into it in its course to the sea, which it 

 falls into a little to the north of the city of Aber- 

 deen. The rivers here are all more or less pro- 

 tected, both for salmon and for trout. This, in a 

 measure, arises from large tracts of land belong- 

 ing to one proprietor, and on both sides of the 

 river, and not, as on the Tweed, which is divided 

 into so many small properties. You cannot cast 

 a fly for your amusement, at small fry in Don, 

 without being instantly challenged by some gilly 

 or gamekeeper ; and the question of Trout versus 

 the Public has never yet been tried here. From 

 recent decisions of the Court of Session, it can 

 only be a trespass, after all, on uncultivated lands. 

 But such is the present observance, that before 

 you can go for a single afternoon's sport, even for 

 trout, you have to go through all the serfdom 

 and formality of begging leave to fish. The 

 present Lord Forbes of Castle Forbes, refused 

 this small favour to three gentlemen, who politely 

 asked his permission by letter to fish, where there 

 are plenty of trout and nothing to destroy. 

 While on the preservation of fish, I will observe, 



